Challenges and Strategies Identified by CPED Institutions Impacting Program Transition from a Traditional Dissertation Model to a Professional Practice DiP model

Feedback from Fall Convening, 2013

Common Themes Challenges Strategies

Institutional barriers Institutional culture Graduate School “rules.” e.g. proposal comps. Bureaucratic levels of agreement required

Dean leadership & supportUtilize resources from CPED websiteSenior faculty engagementIntentionalityDialogueCritical Friends/MentorsFaculty development

University preference for certain epistemologies PAEI – Philosophy of Adult Education Inventoryhttp://www.labr.net/apps/paei/

Breadth or depth re: research methods Action ResearchMixed MethodsTranslational ResearchClient-basedStakeholder involvementDiP communicated to varied stakeholder audiences

Changing faculty mindset to understand: Program design Research methods Rigor of action research

Problem of Practice drives program design and determines the relevance of the inquiryPartnership with field mentorsImpact of DiP in the field

Faculty skills & capacityFaculty have quantitative training, are not comfortable with/accept other methodologies

Hiring of scholarly practitioners as clinical facultyCreation of a new category of faculty called “practice “faculty

DiP Committee membership Clinical faculty as members of the DiP Committee

CPED Issues What does program (re) design look like? Examples of program (re) design on CPED websitehttp://cpedinitiative.org/consortium-members

Lack of clarity re: terminology people are using to describe the DiP

Design concept definitions on CPED websitehttp://cpedinitiative.org/design-concept-definitions

Lack of DiP models DiP models to be reviewed as part of FIPSE productsExamples on CPED websitehttp://cpedinitiative.org/resource-library/dissertations

Purpose & format of the DiP Engage other stakeholders in defining the needs around DiP Keep pushing framework and rubrichttp://cpedinitiative.org/dissertation-practice-year-award

Program Quality University push for raising rankings (PhD is valued) Faculty reward system in higher education needs significant modifications

Definitions/criteria for rigor DiP Award criteria applicable for quality assurance